


A peculiar little trip

by RonnieTheZombie



Series: SwenHumor [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Humor, Road Trips, Swan-Mills Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-08-09
Packaged: 2018-12-03 16:05:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11535675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RonnieTheZombie/pseuds/RonnieTheZombie
Summary: An awkward family trip ensues after Storybrooke is hit with....something. SwanQueen happy ending.Sequel to "A particular kind of cake"





	1. Missing

**Author's Note:**

> If you haven't read my other fic "A particular kind of cake" then this fic might not make sense. A bunch of you asked for a sequel so here it is. Just like my other fic, it will be about 6 or 7 chapters long. 
> 
> The second chapter is currently with my lovely beta, Samantha, who is ironing out all my terrible grammar and spelling. So I will be able to post it as soon as she's done with it. 
> 
> I don't own anything from OUAT or Disney (or any other films I might mention/ draw inspiration from in this fic) 
> 
> Now that that's done, let's get the show on the road.

Regina closed her eyes as the warm water gently waved over her skin. The only sound that filled her on-suit bathroom was the crackling of tiny dying bubbles and the silence of the late afternoon. It had been a while since the Queen had been able to just take a break and relax in warm bubble bath. Two months had passed since the incident at Cinderella's wedding and for some reason she had gained a little popularity in the town for it. However it had not been in the way she had expected, or rather wanted.

 

The denizens of the town feared her before the curse broke and hated her after. She had been able to do her mayoral duties in peace. Only hearing from the people if there was a real emergency or if they wanted to blame her for something. But ever since the wedding, they had it in their head that she had somehow become harmless. Now they suddenly show up at her office even if the only problem they have is a leaking pipe.

 

The paperwork had taken up so much of her time that she had to actually turn down one of Henry's visits and that hurt her the most. It was right after that she decided to take a break. She just gave herself a few days off to breathe and had arranged with Emma to take Henry for the whole weekend.

 

"Ahh Emma" an annoyed Regina sighed and mentally rolled her eyes as memories of the past few months drifted through her head. Emma had always tip-toed around the Mayor. Babbling, mumbling and blushing whenever she said something without thinking. She had not become less clumsy around Regina but she had definitely become more confident. She blatantly flirted and complimented the Mayor. Be it on looks or her cooking... mostly on her cooking. She had also become a little more hands on with the Mayor. Putting her arms around Regina, hugging her or grabbing her hand. Not that her confidence had soared to a level that she would actually ask Regina out on an actual date, one that wasn't just a ploy to get a free wedding invite that is.

 

"Coward." Regina muttered to herself as she sunk a little deeper into warm luxuriously scented water. There had been one incident a few weeks prior that Regina actually had mistaken for a date. Emma had pulled her, rather unceremoniously, from her office late one night and told her that she needed a break. The Mayor had fully believed that the blonde had the audacity to take her on a date to the Rabbit Hole but all her excitement deflated when she spotted Ruby and Ashley waiting outside for them. The entire evening was spent talking about things that Regina didn't know about and most of her conversation had gone into her margarita glass.

 

That was in the past. All she had to worry about now was her water getting cool and the dinner she was going to cook when Emma dropped Henry off later that evening. Regina just sighed and closed her eyes. This was what she needed. just silence and a distant rumbling car.

 

She flashed her eyes open. She knew that car, and it wasn't so distant anymore. That was the sound of Emma Swan's yellow contraption parking in her driveway. She got out of the bath as quick as she can, dried off just the necessary parts, threw on her robe and headed for the loud knocks on the front door.

 

"I'm coming!" she yelled as she made her way down the staircase. A quick glance at the clock confirmed that she did not fall asleep in the tub and that the infuriating blonde was in fact much too early. Regina unlocked the door and was already mid eye roll when she swung it open. She had prepared her rant ahead and was about to start telling her friend just how much she appreciated being on point but, stopped mid breath when she realized it was the wrong infuriating blond standing on her porch.

 

"David?" She asked completely taken aback.

            "Hey, sorry to bother. Is Emma here?" He asked and Regina could hear the anxiety fluttering around his tone.

 

"No she's not." Regina folded her arms into a self hug when she started to feel a little too exposed in nothing but a bath robe. "She was supposed to drop Henry of later tonight."

 

"When was the last time you spoke to her?" his breath started to become a little faster. He was clearly hoping that Emma would be at the mansion and his stress raised when he didn't get the answer he wanted.

 

"Two nights ago, Wednesday night to be exact."

 

"So nothing yesterday or today?"

 

Regina shook her head. David put his hands in his hair and the Mayor started feeling anxious as she studied his body language.

 

"Is something wrong?" She asked. Something was wrong.   

            "I don't know." He sighed and lowered his hands to his side. He looked up to the sky for some answer and scratched at his arm. "We haven't heard anything from her since yesterday morning. She was going to walk to work but that's the last anyone heard. She's not answering any calls. She left her bug, her keys and now my cruiser is gone from the station." He breathed out.

 

Regina thought for a moment. "Let me just get dressed quickly and I will come help you look." David just nodded and waited for Regina in the foyer.

 

A little later Regina returned and convinced David to take the bug and continue pounding the pavement. She grabbed her coat and gloves from the rack in the foyer and stared out into the town before her. She was going to look for Emma the only way she knew how; magic.

 

 

\---------------------

 

The bell clanged above the door and the stale air of the cramped pawn shop filled Regina's nostrils.

 

"Gold!?" She yelled out when she noticed that no one was occupying the front of the shop.

 

"Ah your Majesty. I almost thought you had forgotten about me" He smirked as he appeared from the back of the shop.  "What can I do for the former Evil Queen today?"

            "I need your help Gold." Regina said with a foul taste coating the words as they rolled off her tongue. Gold simply grinned and nodded for her to continue. "I need a locator spell." She sighed out.

 

"That's a simple enough spell. Why not create it yourself?" The smile grew wider on his features. He knew all too well what the answer was yet he wanted to hear Regina say it herself.

 

"I don't have the ingredients anymore." She hissed out.

            "Because?" He smiled. Regina never could understand why this man enjoyed tormenting her so much, considering that she was the one who ultimately cast his curse for him.

 

"Because I destroyed it all."

 

"Ah I see. For you and Miss Swan's boy?"

 

Regina felt her patience run thin and simply nodded. He already knew that she had agreed to stop using magic for Henry. Why he was using it as a tactic to ruin her day even further she would never know. Gold placed his hand on a hand carved wooden box sitting on the counter. His usual tactic to manipulate the people, and Regina. He knew she was coming.

 

"Well I am sure that you understand that all magic comes with a price." He tapped his fingers on the box and watched as the queen rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time during her visit.

 

"What is your price Gold" She angrily hissed at him.

           

"That would depend on who you are looking for dear."

 

"Emma Swan. Her father seems to believe that she has gone missing." Regina watched as his eyes darted around the shop. He was clearly only pretending to think of a price.

 

"A strand of your hair." He finally answered. Regina scrunched up her face as she gauged his features. Surely he must be joking.

 

"And what would you want with my hair?

           

"Oh apologies your majesty. Is my price not fair enough for you?" The sarcasm in his tone was not lost to Regina. He started walking out from behind the counter. His limp no longer present since the magic had returned to town. "In fact I am feeling rather generous today." He stopped when he reached the unicorn mobile swinging in the still breeze. "I will give you both the potion and one of these for a special price." He said as he gently stroked one of the glass critters.

            "What do I need that for." She leaned on the counter and placed her hand in her coat pocket.

 

"Well as far as I know you need an item that belonged to the person you are looking for. So unless you wish to commune with your former nemesis, I suggest you take one of these. For a special price of course."

            "That belonged to Emma?" Her features softened and a painful memory ripped at her chest. That belonged to a baby that lost her family to the curse the Evil Queen had cast. A baby that grew up into a woman that no longer blamed her for it, she reminded herself. "What's your 'special' price?"

 

\-----------------

 

Regina sat in her car, holding the vial of potion and the glass unicorn. She gently poured the liquid over the fragile critter and felt as it started to pull from her grip. She set it free out her window and watched as it defied gravity and flew down main street.

 

She slowly followed it in her car until it got closer and closer to the town line. A sudden pain flooded her ribcage. The only thing that ran through Regina's mind was that Emma had up and left Storybrooke. That the glass unicorn was just going to stop and fall once it reached the town line. What was she going to tell Henry?

 

But then she spotted the cruiser as she came around the bend. Neatly parked without any driver present. The glass unicorn slowed down as if it was trying to pick up Emma's trail and made a quick dash for the nearby forest. Regina had to hastily unbuckle herself before she lost it completely.

 

The mayor felt lucky that the critter was following a well known hiking path. She knew that if it had made a bee line for the under brush that she would be cursing herself for wearing heels and then, before she knew it, the critter stopped and dropped to the ground. She gently picked it up, gave it a quick inspection and placed it in her pocket.

 

The queen sighed out in relief when she finally spotted Emma. The blond seemed fine and was sitting in the dirt near a stream with her knees against her chest. Regina's relief quickly turned to anger when she realized that this entire fiasco could have been avoided.

 

"Emma." Regina said nonchalantly as she stood behind the blond. Her presence had clearly gone unnoticed up until that point because as soon as the sheriff heard her name, she nearly fell face forward in an attempt to get up and fight what ever monster was behind her. Regina would have giggled if she didn't feel so furious. She watched the blonde slip in the wet dirt a few times before fully getting up with her fists ready for a fight.

 

"Oh it's you." Emma said as she calmed her heart and lowered her fists, first to her side and then into her pockets.

 

"Yes. And I am going to KILL YOU!" Regina yelled. Her words didn't hold any bite but never the less it made Emma take a small step back. "Do you know how worried you've had everyone? Your father is cruising around Storybrooke, in your bug I might add, and I had to make a sleazy deal with Gold in order to find you!"

 

"You made a deal with Gold?"

 

"Yes I made a deal with Gold! No one knew where you were. You left that piece of scrap you call a car and didn't answer your phone! How was I supposed to know that you decided to come and practice some newly learned Zen techniques in the middle of the fu..." Regina cut of her sentence, letting out a frustrated sigh and a brief moment of silence came over the forest as Regina rubbed at her temples. Emma gently kicked at a rock as she spent a moment  feeling truly chastened. Her eyes flung to Regina once the words had sunk in. "You didn't phone me."

 

"What?"

 

"You didn't phone me. David, Mary-Margaret and Ruby phoned but not you." Regina had no idea what the blonde was trying to say. "I didn't feel like talking to them. I needed a little time on my own so I came here. I didn't forget about our deal. I was going to go back later tonight and bring Henry. But if you phoned me I would have answered."

 

Regina mentally scolded herself for not thinking about that earlier. She should have attempted to phone Emma herself. The two idiots definitely had no hold on their daughter and she should have remembered that.

 

"What happened?" Her tone was soft and caring. Her first instinct was to blame the blonde and clearly she had to have reason for doing what she did. Out off all the people in the town, Regina should have been the one person that knew every story had two sides.

 

"I had a fight with Mary-Margaret." Emma let out and put her hands on her hips.

 

"Funny David didn't mention a fight."

 

"Then she probably didn't tell him. She came to the station and started saying... things... I just couldn't take it anymore so I grabbed the cruiser and bolted. Wouldn't be the first time I had to sleep in a car." The blonde sighed and knew that she might be yelled at again for the second part of her story. "I went to your office first you know."

 

Regina was slightly taken a back. "Really?"

            "Yes. I let myself in and I was going to ask if Henry and I could crash at your place, you know, I thought you wouldn't mind spending some extra time with him. But you were yelling profanities over your phone and I figured the forest wouldn't turn me into ash like you would."

 

Regina let out a laugh and shook her head. "Ahh Emma you are such an idiot." The blond no longer saw that statement as hurtful and found it rather endearing if it came from the Mayor. A small smile sneaked unto her features and was returned by the Queen. "What did your mother say that made you decide to camp out like a homeless person?"

 

Emma looked everywhere but towards Regina. She took in a deep breath and tried to form the words a few times before she closed her eyes, letting out a sigh. "The fight was about you."

 

Regina crossed her arms and felt a small amount of fury sting through her teeth. "I see."

            "She brought me lunch and then told me that the 'family' was going on a little camping trip for the weekend. I...informed her, that Henry was staying with you, since you took off from work. That's when she started her nonsense." 

 

" Hmm." Was all Regina could muster.

            "She complained about the fact that I let you still see him after the cake incident. That you couldn't be trusted and that she didn't like that I had become friends with you. She even, and I don't know where she saw this, said that I flirt with you. Do I flirt with you?"

            "Yes."

 

"Oh."

 

Regina could see a the tell tale red coating the Sheriff's cheeks. She hadn't seen that blush in a long time and a part of her, dare she admit it, missed it.

 

"I...I mean I had...did... I..." Emma mumbled. Another thing that Regina had missed and this made it impossible for her to hide her tight lipped smile. "I had... flirted I mean. I just didn't know anyone noticed. Especially you."

            "I wasn't born under a rock Miss Swan."

                        "But you didn't say anything."

                                    "I didn't mind it."

 

"Oh."

 

Emma's cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red, matching perfectly with her signature jacket. "I think we should head back before your father gets attached to that yellow contraption of yours." Regina half giggled out when Emma had stayed silent long enough. "You also have to help me pay of my debt with Gold."    

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What could possibly be the other half of the debt? *gasp*  
> Thank you for reading, Reviews and comments are welcome along with suggestions.  
> Chapter 2 will be here shortly


	2. A lock of blonde

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't own anything from OUAT or any other films/series I might mention... *nudge nudge wink wink*

Regina followed behind the cruiser as it stopped in front of the Charming's apartment. Emma had phoned David, to his utter relief, and agreed to meet him at the loft. Emma walked over to the Mayor's Merc, after parking the cruiser and knocked on the passenger side window. She gave Regina her best impression of a puppy dog begging face when the Mayor ignored her attempts at gaining her attention. It worked.

 

"Are you coming up too?" Emma asked as she settled into the passenger seat.

 

"No." Regina promptly stated.

            "Are you sure? Henry would love to see you." Emma pleaded. If she was honest with herself she would rather have told Regina that she didn't feel like facing Mary-Margaret alone.

 

"I really don't think it's a good idea. I had thought that your mother and I were on good, well, better terms but after what you told me, I'd rather not."

 

The blonde just scrunched her face and nodded in agreement. "So you don't want to see me tell her that she and her camping trip can go fly a kite?"

 

This made Regina let out a small giggle. "If you said that to her she might see it as an invitation,"

            "She would." Emma agreed.

 

A few moments of quiet passed as they waited for David to return from wherever he was. He had mentioned that he was looking for Emma on the other side of town but with the time he was taking to return it felt more like he was searching on the other side of the country.

 

Emma couldn't handle the silence anymore and decided to speak up. "So. Were you serious? When you said you didn't mind my flirting?"

 

Regina smiled but didn't look at Emma. "Yes. I believe you would be, how did you say it, burned to a pile of ash if I wasn't." Emma just leaned against the window. A slight drizzle of rain had started to fall and she could see her breath form against the window. The town was quiet, say for a few people running to get out of the sudden rain.

 

"I actually thought that you asked me out on a date once." Regina said, still not looking at the blonde who had now whipped her head around to look at the Mayor.

 

"When?" 

 

"When you dragged me out of my office and into the Rabbit Hole." The mayor grinned. She could almost hear the gears turning in Emma's head.

 

"But you came anyway? Even though you thought it was a date?" Emma's eyes were as big as saucers. Her breath had quickened and she had succeeded in single handedly fogging up all the windows in the car. They were as alone as they were going to get in the middle of Main Street.

 

"Yes." This time the Mayor audibility swallowed and looked at Emma. Her nerves had kicked in and the voice in her head kept telling her that Emma had just been playing with her the whole time. She felt insecure and couldn't shake the feeling that she was about to receive a freak out from the blonde.

 

"But...Regina?" Here it came. The Queen was about to be turned down by the sheriff in one of the most humiliating ways. Regina held her breath and made peace with being a lost, lonely soul for the rest of her life. She couldn't take the confusion in Emma's eyes anymore and decided to rather look at the raindrops falling on the windshield. She might not have been looking at her but Regina could feel the Sheriff's eyes still lingering on her. "Regina."

 

She took her time to respond to her name and the moment she did, brown eyes were locked with green in an intense stare. Her mind had become as foggy as the opaque windows of the car and every noise from the outside world had been drowned out by nothing but the green eyes in front of her. She barely registered the hand that had been placed on her cheek but her body automatically moved towards it. Those green orbs got bigger and she couldn't help but shut her eyes as they came closer and too powerful to look at.

 

She could feel the gentlest graze of breath on her skin and then the softest lips were touching hers. Regina had lost control of her body and she couldn't resist grabbing those lips with her own. Her hands moved on their own accord and took hold of the sheriff. The move was not meant for a front seat make-out session and a slipping Emma had to stabilize herself against the driver side window.

 

All the promises that were made with that one kiss were suddenly lost when David knocked on the window. They quickly broke apart like two guilty high school kids. Neither of them said anything and just got out of the car.

 

"David." Emma said, still high on what just happened. David went over to his daughter and gave her the tightest bear hug. Regina just cleared her throat and fixed the creases in her jacket, putting herself back in full-on-Mayor mode.

 

"I'm so glad you are okay." The prince said as he continued to hold his daughter, giving a 'thank you' smile to Regina. He finally let go of Emma when she started to complain about suffocation being a crime and ushered his daughter into the door. "Are you coming?" He asked when Regina just continued to stand by the car, feeling a bit cold and left out in the rain.

 

Emma gave her the puppy dog look and for the second time that day, it worked. The Queen rolled her eyes and followed behind the two as they went up to the loft.

 

\--------------------

 

"Are you sure their okay?" Henry asked, and leaned on the counter as Mary-Margaret made them hot cocoa.

 

The teacher just smiled "I'm sure." Just then the door swung open revealing David and Emma first. "You found her! I'll make another cup of cocoa." Henry ran up to the duo and held on tightly to his birth mother.

 

"I'll rather take coffee, or preferably tea." Regina mumbled from behind Emma and the prince. The pixie haired women did a double take and gave her smile, a disgusted smile, that only Regina could see.

 

"Mom!" Henry yelled and gave Regina a similar hug before leading them towards the make shift lounge. "So where were you?"

            "I'd like to know that too." David chimed in.

 

"I just needed some space." Emma mumbled as she took her seat next to Regina.

 

Uncomfortable was a word that wasn't strong enough to describe how Regina felt. She was sitting in the home of her former nemesis and, to top it all off, she was about to drink out of her cheap cups. Mary-Margaret made her appearance from the kitchen and Regina did a mental eye roll. Not cheap cups, cheap mugs. The pixie haired woman placed the thick rimmed mug of milk-white tea in front of the Queen and proceeded to hand out everyone else's drinks. Regina needed some civility in the situation and pulled a napkin from her pocket. No one, except Emma, noticed and the blonde had to stifle a giggle as she watched Regina gently place the mug down on it's make-shift coaster.

 

"Why did you need space?" David asked and his wife gave a scared look to her daughter. Emma didn't know what to say and she instinctively looked at Regina for an answer.

 

"Just something that happened at work." Regina answered for the blonde. The teacher gently sighed out the breath she was holding. The Queen hated herself for it. Here she was keeping a secret for the girl who once destroyed her life by not keeping hers.

 

"So where did you two find her." The teacher started, nervously looking at her daughter.

 

"Actually Regina found her." the Prince stated as he took a big glug of his cocoa.

 

"You did?" Henry and the teacher said in unison.

            "Yes I did. I found her out by the town line." Regina gave an evil grin towards the teacher. She wanted her to think that the woman had nearly run her daughter out of town and given the shocked look that she had on her face, it worked. But she had to scold herself when she saw the same look on Henry's face. "By the old hiking trail. In the forest." She quickly added and smiled at the boy.

 

"You went camping?" David laughed.

            "I hardly call sleeping in the cruiser camping." Emma laughed as well and looked over at the brunette. She didn't try to stop the wide smile that appeared.

 

"How did you know she would be in the forest?" The teacher was going to play Regina's game.

 

"I didn't." Regina thought for a second and realized that this time she was going to give the truth for Henry's sake. "I had destroyed all my ingredients, so I made a deal with Gold for a locator spell."

            "You made a deal with gold?" Henry seemed deflated and scared.

 

"Yes. But luckily his price wasn't so bad this time." Henry started smiling and ran up to hug Regina.

           

"You were willing to risk yourself for Emma." He whispered into her shoulder and only her and Emma could hear it. Regina smiled into the hug and then remembered something.

 

"Speaking of. I still have to pay the other half of the debt." She reluctantly let go of her son and stood. "Emma." She nodded towards the blonde.

 

"Right." Emma also got up off her seat and walked with Regina to the door.

 

"You're going with her?" Mary-Margaret asked.

            "well...Em.. Yeah."

 

"Can I come too?" Henry pleaded and Regina knew instantly where he had learned the puppy dog look. She actually wanted to say no because she really wanted to talk to Emma about the things that had just happened in her front seat, maybe even relive it again. But seeing the hopefulness in Henry's eyes, it made her falter.

 

"Of course you can." She smiled at both him and Emma. "Like I said, his price wasn't so bad."

 

Mary-Margaret let out an extremely deep sigh once the apartment door was closed and the trio were gone. She and David were still seated on the couch and the teacher couldn't help but eye Regina's untouched cup of tea.

 

"I think they are dating." She let out when David started cleaning up everyone's cups.

 

"Who?"

 

"Emma and... her." The teacher couldn't hold back a face of disgust and she thought about her daughter and the Queen. David placed down some of the cups in the tiny kitchen and returned to fetch the rest.

 

"Well considering that I just saw a scene re-enactment from Titanic downstairs, I'd say you are right." David smiled but it quickly changed when he noticed the scorn on his wife's face.

 

"What scene? What re-enactment?" She hastily let out.

            "Oh you know... never mind. It's probably nothing"

 

\---------------------

 

The walk to the shop had been a generally quiet between the two women. Emma was on shared umbrella duty with Regina since Henry opted to take his own. Henry had been babbling but neither woman listened and just absentmindedly agreed to what ever he said.

 

"...and then you showed up." Henry noticed that neither of them had responded. "Are you even listening?"

            "That's nice dear." Regina agreed.

                        "You aren't listening." Henry sighed out and started to fall a few paces behind them. In his silence he was able to fully take in the forms of his mothers. He noticed how Emma would shift the umbrella whenever the rain changed directions. The move would leave her exposed but she always made sure Regina was covered. And then they would share a quick look at one another and smile.

 

Henry's eyes grew brighter. He might be young but he knows those looks. He lives in a town full of fairytale characters who can't stop looking at their spouses and lovers in the same way. 'Something is up' the boy thought to himself and grinned when he realized exactly what it was. They had shared similar looks when he was trapped in his wooden form, he had joked to them about it. But this was different.

 

\-------------------------

 

Emma ran her hands through her wet hair when they walked into the pawn shop. "Are you dripping on my floors miss Swan?" Came the voice from behind the counter.

            "Maybe." Emma chided and Gold just smiled.

 

"I trust you are here to pay the other half of your debt madam Mayor." He lifted his brow at Regina and she just nodded back. "Would you like to do the honors?" The older man asked.

 

Regina looked at the blonde and then at her hair. She slowly grabbed hold of one of the strands and then quickly yanked it out.

 

"OW!" Emma protested but it had been too late. "What did you do that for?" she rubbed the area of scalp that had been victim to the Evil Queen's torture and frowned.

 

"Oh it's just one hair. You have plenty." The mayor handed the hair to Gold. "Is the debt paid?"

 

"Yes." he said as he marveled the shiny strand of hair that had been placed in his hands.

 

"Wait. That was the other half of the debt?" Emma grew concerned and Regina could see it. The queen blinked at the sting in her eyes when Emma gave her a frowned expression.

 

"Yes it was. I had to go through the same for my half. Now hopefully you will learn to phone a friend the next time you go play in the dirt." Regina turned to leave and both Emma and Henry followed her out of the shop.

 

A scheming grin appeared on Gold's face when he saw their figures disappear into the rain soaked town. "Thank you ladies, that's just what I needed."

 

\----------------------------------

 

"Regina wait!" Emma yelled as she tried to catch up to the Mayor, dragging Henry along with her.

 

"Oh I thought we were done accusing me for the day." Regina sneered when the blonde and Henry finally reached her side.

 

"I wasn't accusing you of anything Regina."

            "I saw how you looked at me in there." She had seen the concern on the blondes face when she handed the hair to Gold. She knew instantly that Emma was going to blame her for something she hasn't done. Just like everyone in the town. Henry decided not to take part in the women's argument and took shelter in one of the nearby bus stops.

 

"How I looked at you?" Emma was surprised. "Yeah of course I'm worried. The dark one has one of my hairs and that doesn't freak you out?"

            "Oh for crying out loud Emma. If he really wanted one of your hairs for some master evil plan then all he had to do was walk down the street and find one. Heaven knows you shed like an over grown llama."

 

Emma took a step back. "I wasn't blaming or accusing you of anything. I...I..."

            "What miss Swan?"

                       

"I was scared okay. And I wanted you to make me... less scared." Emma looked down at the ground and put her hands in her pockets. "You always make me feel safe." The words were almost a whisper but Regina heard them and they stung her like daggers from all sides.

 

 'Of course she was only scared, she doesn't understand magic like everyone else in this town.' She looked over at Henry who had peeked from the bus stop when they had stopped yelling. She smiled at him and then looked at the soaked sheriff in front of her. 'I make her feel safe'.

 

Regina shook her head and put her arms around Emma. The blonde immediately returned the hug. "I promise you that if he is planning on cursing you, that I will personally skin him alive." Regina whispered into blonde locks and felt a smile growing against her neck. "Feel ...less scared?" She smiled at Emma when they finally broke apart.

 

"Sort of." Emma laughed out. They both looked over at Henry who had listened in on the whole conversation and called for him to join in a group hug.

 

"You two are idiots." He laughed out.

            "Hey don't talk to your mother that way." They both said collectively.

 

Just then the entire town suddenly shook. Lights were swinging and the floor warped. It felt like a giant explosion had gone off nearby. Emma clung to Regina and Henry, protecting them from what ever was about to come their way. But nothing came.

 

Just as soon as it happened, it was over.

 

"I promise I will never call you idiots again." Henry clung to his mothers.

           

"Oh come on Henry that had nothing to do with you." Regina patted his head and tried to calm the scared little boy.

 

"What was that?" The startled blonde asked.

            "I don't know."

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUN DUN DUUUN


	3. Gold Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chapter starts with a little flashback from Gold's point of view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry you had to wait this long for an update. With all the spoilers about the new season being released, my muse went haywire and left me. but it's back in full force and hopefully stays.
> 
> A special thanks to my beta Sam for helping me out and keeping me going.
> 
> Hope you enjoy it and as always, I don't own anything from OUAT.

_Gold teleported himself to the town line once the women were gone. He gently touched the barrier that had been keeping him from his son. "This will do the trick." He mumbled to himself. He pulled out a vial from his coat, containing the strand of hair he had received from the Mayor earlier that day. Gently he lowered the strand of blonde and watched as it intertwined with the darker strand. A quick wave of his hand and the vial turned a bright glowing violet._

_The pawn shop owner smirked and threw the vial at the barrier. Suddenly the barrier shook, a long with the rest of the town. He watched as the barrier flickered a few times and then disappeared._

_He touched where the barrier would have been but there was nothing. He stepped over the town line and grinned again, his memories seemingly intact._

\----------------------------------------

 

Back on Main road it was chaos. People were running from their homes and storming the savior, who was still clinging to the Mayor and their son. Everyone seemed to think that the two women knew what had happened and wanted answers. Luckily David and Mary-Margaret had joined the crowd and David was able to calm them down after he had climbed on top of the bus stop and used it as a stage for his speech.

 

"I can promise you that we will find out what that was. It seems to be gone now so hopefully it was nothing but a little tremor." The prince stated.

 

"What if it's another curse?" Granny asked.

           

"What about some monster that she had locked up somewhere?" Leroy asked and pointed at Regina. The Queen could only close her eyes at the accusation. Of course she would get blamed for it, she thought to herself.

 

It was just then that Belle ran from the pawn shop. The startled girl looked over the group of people and sighed out a breath when she didn't see the person she was looking for.

 

"It might have been Rumple." She yelled out. "He lied to me again. He said he wouldn't do it but he lied."

 

"Do what?" Regina sneered, she should have known the imp was behind this.

 

"Destroy the town line." Belle let out.

            "But that's a good thing, right?" Leroy asked David and then everyone turned to Regina who had turned slightly pale. "Is it a good thing?" He asked again.

 

"Without the barrier, magic might escape Storybrooke and seep into the rest of the world. I don't know how long it will take but it will happen. It was also keeping out other people. They can't know that magic exists." A few agreeing nods from the crowd, told Regina that she can continue.

 

"We won't be safe. Anyone can come in here and we can't stop them." Regina looked at Emma. "We need to fix this."

 

\-----------------------------

 

After numerous failed attempts to restore the barrier, Regina and Emma realized that the only person who knew how to fix it was Gold, and since magic had once again become unstable, they had to do it the old fashioned way.

 

The two women were at the mansion, packing the things they would need for the trip. Henry had started carrying bags to the Merc when David and Mary-Margaret showed up.

 

"What are you doing here gramps?" Henry asked his grandparents.

 

"We are coming with." The teacher answered before David had a chance. "We think we should all stick together."

 

Regina had just appeared at the door and dropped the bag she was carrying. She noticed the cruiser had been packed and mentally scolded herself for not killing Snow White when she had the chance. She turned back into the foyer without saying a word to the new arrivals.

 

"Your parents seem to think they are coming with." The Queen told the blonde who had appeared on the staircase.

 

"Are you serious?" Emma frowned and peeked out of the front door. Her parents, if she dared call them that, were in full conversation with Henry and didn't seem to notice the women spying from the foyer.

 

Regina picked up the bag that she dropped. "I'll take care of them."

 

Snow had been telling Henry about some or other story about camping when Regina made her appearance. She gracefully put the bag in her car and walked over to the couple.

 

"Snow. Charming." She greeted snidely. "What are you doing here?"

 

"Oh I thought we'd come help out with the search, we are after all the ones these people look up to." Snow wrapped her arms in a defining stance, ready to take on any comment Regina would make.

 

"Well, I'm still the Mayor." Regina replied and swallowed hard for what she had to say next. "And since I am going out of town I thought you would be too happy to take over in my absence. I mean we don't know how long this is going to take and I only have the weekend off."

 

Snow was honestly surprised. She didn't expect Regina to give her the slightest control over the town. "Well I hadn't thought about that."

 

Regina smiled, happy in her victory but still a little doleful of allowing the princess to go anywhere near her office.

 

"Just hold on a second." Snow removed her phone and stood a little off to the side. She made sure that Regina could hear her conversation. "Cindy." Snow greeted the other side of the line. "I have been given temporary control over the town but I will unfortunately not be able to take it." Regina bit the inside of her lips as she stifled an angry remark. "Would you be so kind as to come over to Regina's mansion and take the keys to the office. I'm sure you and your husband will be more than capable of running this place without us...or Regina."

 

Snow had beaten Regina at her own game.

 

Just then, Emma decided to join the conversation. "I failed." Regina sneered softly to Emma and nodded her head towards Snow, who was still on the phone."

 

"Hey this could be a fun, family trip." David happily chimed in when he saw the angry stares from the two women. Regina scoffed and turned back towards the mansion. Emma could only give David a pleading smile and followed after the bemused Mayor.

 

\---------------------------------

 

The car had been packed and the Mayoral keys had been exchanged. Regina, Emma and Henry were in the Merc, David and Snow following behind them in the cruiser. They had been on the road for a few minutes and the town line had just appeared in their vision.

"This is it." Regina said as she blankly looked out the windshield at the sign as it passed by, hands tightening on the steering wheel. "This will be the first time your parents have been outside of Storybrook.

 

"Well this will be interesting." Emma and Henry turned around to look out towards the cruiser. They could see the couple holding a breath as they crossed the town line and then rejoice once they made it over.

 

"They are weird." Henry laughed.

 

"I've been saying that for years." Regina laughed and Emma bit her cheek to stop her own laugh from spilling out.

 

"Hey if it weren't for them, I wouldn't be here." Emma feigned being hurt and smiled as she said it.

 

The Queen chuckled again. "Exactly."

 

"And neither would Henry." Emma's statement curbed Regina's sarcasm and she shyly peeked over at Emma for a brief moment, just to see a giant tight lipped smile on the blonde.

 

Henry looked at the exchange between his mothers. "Oh this is definitely going to be interesting." The boy smiled and pulled out his storybook from his backpack.

 

"Where should we start looking?" Regina asked Emma. She might be the Evil Queen but knowing how to track people was definitely not in her royal experience. Threatening people was usually how she found who she was looking for and if that failed she could just use a little magic. Since neither of those options were available to her anymore, she had to leave it up to the clumsy blonde in passenger seat.

 

"Well since Gold clearly had to travel the same way we have, and since he didn't take his car, I think we should go to the diner. The one that's just up ahead." Emma remembered the diner. It was the one August had taken her to. It was close enough to Storybrooke that it could be walked to.

 

"Maybe we are lucky and he is still there. He did get a head start but hopefully there isn't anyone that has been willing to give him a lift to wherever he is going." Regina nodded in agreement. Emma sent a quick text out to Mary-Margaret, letting them know where they were going, and slumped in her seat as she waited for the Diner to show up in her peripheral vision.

 

\-----------------------

 

The diner wasn't a complete waste of time. Gold wasn't there but the owner had recognized him from the sketchy photo Regina happened to have. He told them that Gold had spoken to one of the patrons and handed him a wad of cash and the two left. Emma had jotted down the details of the car, a baby blue pickup truck, and were ready to head back on the road. David had to pry Snow away from a little curio shop next door but other than that there were no hiccups.

 

They had been on the road for a few hours and the sun had started to set. After a yawning Regina refused to let Emma drive her car, they all agreed to stop somewhere for the night and continue in the morning.

 

They found a motel soon enough. There were two rooms available but of course Snow wanted them all to share or throw Regina in a room alone. The clerk had informed them that they only had to follow code and couldn't stack four people in one room which resulted in a gigantic argument between Regina and Snow.

 

David and Henry had been fearfully quiet until David saw a twinkle in Henry's eyes. He knew exactly what the boy was going to do because he had been thinking the same thing.

 

"I want to stay with grams and gramps." Henry piped up loud enough for the women to stop arguing.

 

"Henry, you could share the room with us." Regina motioned between her and Emma.

 

"Not going to happen." Snow chimed in. "You and Emma are not sharing a room."

 

"Well then why don't you and I share a room and we get to spend some time talking about the good old days?" Regina sarcastically smiled out to Snow and that smile widened when she saw the flinch on the other woman's features.

 

"I haven't spent much time alone with them and I've just spent hours with you two in a car and I think it would be nice." Henry was clearly up to something because Emma's supper power had been going off the whole time, but she allowed it because it seemed like a reasonable request.

 

"I think the kid is right. After all, it won't be the first time Regina and Emma had been alone together." David added.

 

"That was different, Regina has more than one bedroom in her house." The teacher was clearly not impressed with her husband for even motioning towards Regina's side of the argument or bringing up the cake fiasco.

 

"I don't think we have a choice, honey." David pleaded and at the heavy sigh that escaped Snow, he knew that they had reached a conclusion.

 

"Fine. But remember we are right next door so don't even think about doing..... anything." Snow waved a finger at Regina. The Evil Queen was about to make an appearance but Emma quickly grabbed Regina's hand and upon feeling the gentle touch, she calmed down enough to let the teacher live another day.

 

They removed most of their belongings from the car. Regina had taken everything she had packed because from what she saw on T.V. motels were always a gathering place for thieves. Emma had laughed her off because she had spent her fair share at motels and most of the time the only thieves that were there, were herself. Henry hadn't packed much and took his entire bag with him to the Charming suite.

 

The rooms were actually nice. A little small but nothing like the shabby ones Regina had seen on the late night horror films she liked to secretly indulge in. Everything was clean. The only thing to be disgusted about, were the over-used floral patterns everywhere. Each room only had one double bed, but the Charming's had taken the one with the couch since Henry had joined them.

 

Regina had first claim to the bathroom and when she returned she saw that Emma had made herself comfortable, or rather uncomfortable, on the floor. Her nose deep in a book she had found in one of the end tables.

 

"Miss Swan." Regina said to draw Emma's attention.

 

Emma didn't even try to look at Regina and just kept reading about 'Places on the East Coast'.

 

"Miss Swan." Regina repeated a little louder. Emma glanced from her book and saw the brunette standing crossed armed at the foot of her 'floor bed'. She was wearing a pair of sensible silk pajamas and a matching robe and even though they were meant to be comfortable rather than alluring, Emma couldn't help but gulp at the queens choice of attire.

 

"You can call me a barbarian all you want but I am staying right where I am." Emma returned right back to her book and didn't spare another glance at the queen.

 

"You can not sleep on the floor Emma."

            "I already am." The blonde replied.

 

"Emma." Regina had an almost saddened look on her face and this made Emma feel a little guilty for some reason.

 

"I can't sleep on the bed because that's where you will be sleeping. I'm sorry Regina but I have too much respect for you to invade that level of personal space." Her explanation was soft and pleading at the same time. It felt like the kindest gesture that Regina had ever received. "Even if a part of me really wants to." The queen rolled her eyes. It was almost the kindest gesture she had ever received. Never-the-less, she still had to resist the inappropriate urge to join the blonde on the floor and show her just how much she appreciated it.

 

She rolled her eyes, more to herself and stated "You may use the bathroom now Swan."

 

Emma finished her cold shower rather quickly and put on the tank top and silk boxers she had in the small bag she had brought from the car. She borrowed the hair dryer that Regina had left in the bathroom and tried to make herself as presentable as possible, even if she was just going to sleep. When she returned to the room, her 'bed' was gone.

 

"Please tell me this is a joke." She asked Regina who had decided to steal the book Emma was reading.

 

"It's cold." The mayor blankly stated.

"Are you being serious? I told you why I don't want to sleep on the bed." Emma tried to seem angry but most of her brain had decided that this was a good thing. She still didn't want to invade Regina's personal space or be disrespectful.

 

"Yes you did. But I found your explanation to be lacking in anything I would care about. Besides..." Regina put the book down and took a deep breath. "I wanted to talk."

 

"And you couldn't talk to me while I was on the floor?" Emma nervously smiled. She knew what Regina wanted to talk about and a part of her wished she had waited with that cold shower.

 

"No I couldn't." Regina became nervous and started picking at her nails. She never liked having these types of conversations because most of them ended badly for her. She knew that Emma had expressed her feelings for her rather physically but a voice in her head still didn't believe it. It kept telling her that Emma was just being polite, or she was just playing with her. With a deep sigh she decided to ignore the voices. It was too late to turn back in any case.

 

"I wanted to talk about what happened in my car earlier today." She avoided Emma's eyes as she spoke.

 

Emma laid down next to Regina on 'her' side of the bed and mimicked the nervousness on the Mayor's face. "Okay."

 

"Okay." Regina repeated. They both stayed silent for a little while, both waiting for the other to continue the conversation.

 

"I..." They both said in unison and giggled as a game of 'you first' ensued.

 

"I like you Regina." Emma blurted out. "Wow that sounded more mature in my head." the blonde mumbled to herself.

 

Regina let out a breath and a small giggle. "Since when are you mature about anything?" The nervous tension had eased a little and it gave Emma a boost to her confidence.

 

"How about this?" Emma leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on Regina's cheek. The unexpectedly sweet act made Regina take in a small gasp.

 

"Oh yes that was very mature of you, Miss Swan." The sentence dripping with sarcasm. Regina turned her body to face Emma, and without saying a word, she gently placed a hand on her cheek and forced the blonde to look at her. Their eyes met for a brief moment before dropping to each other's lips. In a slow movement they found themselves face to face. Regina's heart was beating in her throat and a small tremble had moved through her body when their lips finally touched.

 

It was Emma that deepened the kiss and soon Regina felt herself sinking into the bed, pulling the sheriff with her. Her hand went from cheek into the blonde locks on top of her and her other one started exploring Emma's back.

 

The blonde moved from her lips to nip at the exposed area on Regina's neck and a small moan escaped from the Queen.

 

Emma's phone suddenly started ringing. They both let out an angry sigh. Emma left Regina and went to check the traitorous device, leaving the Mayor feeling cold by the lack of touch.

 

"It's a message from Mary-Margaret."

 

Regina had a sudden look of fear on her face. "Do you think she heard me?"

 

Emma let out a small giggle. "I doubt it. Her hearing is good but not that good." Emma read the message that appeared on her screen to Regina.

 

_I see your light's are still on._

_We need to be up early so I suggest you go to bed._

 

Regina laughed, loud enough that she was sure that the princess in the other room could hear it. "Well you heard your mother, it's past your bed time."

 

Emma glared at the queen for a moment. "All good. Besides, she definitely would have heard something, if we continued."

 

They both laughed, turned off the lights and got into bed. Regina didn't know what would be acceptable in terms of physical contact. She didn't want the blonde to think she was invading her personal space, as Emma clearly had a thing for personal space. She stayed on her side of the bed and stared at the ceiling, but Emma had other plans and wrapped her arms around the brunette and snuggled her face into the curve of Regina's neck.

 

"Goodnight your majesty." Emma mumbled into Regina's hair.

 

"Goodnight your highness."

 

Emma giggled and placed a small kiss to Regina's neck, eliciting another small moan from the queen. "I think I found your weak spot." The blonde laughed.

 

"Oh I have a few of them." Regina giggled.

 

"I'll find them all one day."

            "I bet you will."

 

\-----------------------------------

The next morning Regina awoke with a sleeping blonde in her arms. Her silk top had a giant cold spot near her collar and she was sure that the blonde had drooled enough water to quench the thirst of a small village. She laughed and gently shook Emma's shoulder.

 

The sheriff jumped awake and took a few moments to collect her thought's. When she realized where she was, she whipped around to see Regina and her tight lipped smile enjoying her confusion and morning hair. It was then that she saw the stained spot on Regina's top.

 

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to." She grabbed a few face tissues from the bedside table and started wiping away the stain.

 

"People drool in their sleep, it's quite normal." Regina was clearly enjoying the scene that was unfolding. She grabbed Emma's hand, stopping her from furthering her embarrassment and pulled her closer for a kiss but Emma quickly pulled away.

 

"I have morning breath." Emma stated, jumped off the bed and ran to the bathroom without another word.

 

The queen could only smile and shake her head. Emma was definitely one of a kind but Regina liked it. She made the bed and started packing her bags while the blonde freshened up. When she took her first bag back to the car, she froze in place.

 

Where her car had stood the previous night, there was just an empty parking bay. She looked around the parking lot, but it was nowhere to be seen.

 

"Where's my car!?" She yelled out.

    


End file.
